Can kids get bronchitis?

[luvdzne]

I took dd to the doctors yesterday as she has had a sore throat, cough, stuffy nose, and over the weekend started wheezing and saying it was kind of hard to breath.

The doctor listened to her and said "Oh she has asthma". I said "how do you know that" (yes I questioned the doctor )? I asked her if it could maybe be bronchitis? She looked at me and said "kids don't get bronchitis, she has asthma". She said she was sending in the nurse to give her a nebulizer treatment. Now I don't question her needing the breathing treatment, she was wheezing, we had been using our other dd's inhailer over the weekend.

When the nurse came in I asked her to get me another doctor. Well, I sure could hear the comotion (sp?) outside the door. Another doctor came in and listen to dd and said she would come back in after the breathing treatment. She listened to dd after the treatment and said she had pnemonia. She prescribed her an antibiotic, and a albuteral inhailer. Then as she was leaving the room, I asked her about the other doctors dx of asthma. She said, yep she has asthma.

Now about the bronchitis thing, I have never heard that children cannot get bronchitis, my children have had it before. (We had another doctor in another state).

Also, how can you determine a child has asthma with one episode? Plus she had been sick as well as several of her friends. Now I might also add that Dh and other dd have asthma, and she did have some symptoms when she was little. She had rsv and was treated for asthma symptoms when she was younger, but she has not had problems for 6 or 7 years.

I am already in the process of looking for a new doctor for dd's, but is this doctor nuts, and is the other one agreeing as to not to make the other doctor look bad?

Sorry it's so long, I just needed to vent.

 

[CEDmom]

My DD had it twice when she was 2 along with countless ear infections. Hope your DD feels better soon.

 

[luvdzne]

Well I think this doctor is nuts! I have never heard of children not being able to get bronchitis. Unless, she is the smart one and the other doctors that have dx dd's with it before are the nuts.

 

[mickeyfan2]

The Dr. maybe wrong but bronchitis and asthma are sister diseases and it is not uncommon for both to be present at the same time. I also feel the Dr who said pnemonia is no better. The only true was to diagnose pnemonia is with xrays. Please find another Dr. You as a mother of a asthmatic should be able to hear the tell tale asthmatic wheeze.

 

[luvdzne]

The Dr. maybe wrong but bronchitis and asthma are sister diseases and it is not uncommon for both to be present at the same time. I also feel the Dr who said pnemonia is no better. The only true was to diagnose pnemonia is with xrays. Please find another Dr. You as a mother of a asthmatic should be able to hear the tell tale asthmatic wheeze.

That was another one of my problems, they did not order xrays.

 

[mrsmom]

My ped has told me one of my kids had asthmatic Bronchitis. and they don't have asthma ,like my other two kids do.and they treated them with predisone and breathing treatment for three days.
Kim

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

My DD9 was diagnosed in Feb. with bronchitis. The doctor said he also thought he heard some asthma. He put her on an antibiotic and told me to bring her back in 2 weeks. He wanted her lungs healed before diagnosing asthma. Her lungs were fine but we keep a close eye on her because of family history with asthma.

Lori

 

[floridafam]

Wow, I have to respond to this.

Yes, kids can get bronchitis.

I really wouldn't feel comfortable with an asthmas diagnosis in one short visit like that.

Our son had trouble for years-croup, bronchitis, etc. Only after he spent all day at the Pulmonologist's office undergoing various different tests was he diagnosed with asthma. He had a Pulmonary Function Test, then a breathing treatment, then another PFT to see if there were any changes. He had a chest x-ray, complete patient history and blood work.

I honestly think I would find a Pulmonologist or maybe another Dr. At least to confirm the diagnosis. I really wouldn't rely on this one visit.

This really surprises me.

 

[BrinxFam]

I suffered from chronic bronchitis as a child and my girls have both had it. In fact, with my youngest the dr. said she presented with asthma symptoms but it wasn't asthma. She was treated for bronchitis with some antibiotics and was fine.

 

[Nancy]

Yep, they can. I would be getting another doctor. I would not wnat a doctor who would make that quick of a dignosis of asthma after just looking and listening to her when she has been sick.

 

[golfgal]

My kids have all had bronchitis. I would make an appointment with an asthma specialist and have your DD checked out properly. If she has asthma, they should be treating it, not just saying "yes, she has asthma" and walking out of the room.

 

[mtemm]

that is so strange. my 4 year old has asthma but they wouldn't diagnose it as such until he had several episodes (I can't remember how many). one episode would never have led to them saying asthma.

 

[UrsulasMyHero]

Yes Kids can get bronchitis. I suffered from it every year. I always got it in the autumn/winter and it was horrible. Three years ago, I was diagnosed with Asthma, now, I carry an emergency inhaler just in case.

Please get a different doctor. One who does not take a mother's concern to heart does not need to be treating children. The 2nd doctor sounds like he was just trying ot placate you.

 

[FergieTCat]

I had bronchitis as a child -- two or three times a year (both of my parents smoked).

I'm sure times have changed, but I used to have antibiotics, cough syrup and a blue vaporizer.

It shouldn't be too hard to diagnose bronchitis. If your child's cough sounds like a seal's bark, take thee to another doctor. Also, any doctor should be able to distinguish between bronchitis, an upper respiratory infection, asthma or pneumonia.

 

[caitycaity]

i had bronchitis twice in elementary school. i've never had it as an adult.

and no, i don't hve (and have never had) asthma.

 

[cepmom]

I agree with the others...a Dr should not be diagnosing your child with asthma in one quick visit like that!! And disgnosing pnemonia wihtout x-rays ~ that's absurd and unprofessional! I would take your child to a asthma specialist do get aproper diagnosis and also demenad a chest x-ray to see if in fact it is pnemonia. I'm pretty sure that's the only way to geta proper diagnosis of pnemonia.

DD8 had a terrible time with a cough that lasted for weeks one summer. Finally took her to the pediatrician and she told me she *thought* it could be asthma. They gave me a nebulizer to take home and treat her for a week then check back. When she wasn't better in a week, she sent me right away to a asthma specialist where they diagnosed DD with allergy induced asthma. You need to see specialist, not just pediatrician ~ I hope your child feels better soon

 

[luvdzne]

Well I spent the day looking for a new pediatrician. I found 2 that are possiblities. I called my doctor and asked and she gave me the name of the one she uses. The only bad thing is I can't get dd in either of them before we leave on friday.

I have an appointment tomorrow to take her back to the office but it is with the nurse practioner. I told them I refused to see either of the 2 doctors dd saw yesterday. I will see what she says, and if I still don't agree I will take her to the er. I feel for any of the diagnosis they have thown out they need a xray otherwise it is just guess work, but no they insist they don't need one. But I know that the child does not have asthma, you don't just wake up one day and develope asthma.

She is still having an awful cough, a stuffy nose. and she is still complaining of a sore throat, but strep came back negitive. She is not wheezing quite as much though. I still say it is bronchitis. Oh and I did ask my doctor about kids not getting bronchitis, she said she had never heard of such a thing. So yes, it is just as I thought, the doctor is just plain ignorant! I'm not sure how she got her MD licence. Maybe inside a cereal box.

 

[cruisnfamily]

OK, take this with a grain of salt but here's my docs opinion on the whole "bronchitis" thing. He doesn't ever, ever diagnose bronchitis in either of my kids. When I questioned him on it once(cause I sure thought that's what the one child had) he said that bronchitis is kind of a catch all term to mean "gunk in your chest" and it really isn't a specific diagnosis of a disease or illness.

By the way, I took DS to the doc on Monday with the exact symptoms your DD has. Sore throat, terrible headaches and face aches, felt like he was breathing oatmeal, wheezing, etc. He told us(after the culture came back negative for strep) that he wasn't going to prescribe antibiotics(this doc really, really avoids antibiotics unless there is absolutely no other choice) but instead DS has an advair inhaler, singulair and claritin. He wants us to give it 3 to 4 days and see if clearing up all the congestion solves the problem. If he gets worse(or doesn't get better) then we may be given antibiotics.

One additional note, many times we've been to the pediatrician for unrelated things and the doctor has told me he's wheezing(this is even when well, not congested, nothing). I've asked about asthma before(DH had it as a child) and he's reluctant to label DS as anything at all. Says we'll treat things as they come up. He's also mentioned "reactive airway disease" but in a laid back calm manner linking it with DS's allergies.

My doc is super laid back but we sure do love him and things usually do sort themselves out without any problem.

 

[Aidensmom]

Yes they can get bronchitis. According to our pediatrician, it is more common in children than adults. Children may get it just from a virus, where adults tend to get it as a result of chronic asthma or smoking.

Frequent bronchitis, however, can be an indication that the child has asthma.

 

[lsyorke]

Children can absolutely get bronchitis. Wheeze does not equal asthma. Anything that obstructs the bronchi can cause a wheeze. I agree, a child does not wake up with asthma.. especially when other symptoms are present. Also, Advair should never be used as a "first in" drug for respiratory problems. Fast acting inhalers should be tried first.

http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/advisory/LABA.htm